The Troubles of a 'Baby' Dragon
In the quiet land of Equsetria, in the small town of Ponyvile, all was quiet and calm as it's residents rested from their long days of work under Celestia's sun. In every bed in every home, everypony dreamed sweet dreams, all save one.
Deep in the castle of Friendship a no longer so young dragon slept fitfully. While some dreamed of sweets and treats and others dreamed of goals being achevied, Spike rolled aroung in his bed mumbling. "No... No please... NO!" Sitting up quickly Spike sighed in relief, until he looked across the room.
The sound of a terrified scream and glass breaking caused Twilight, who happened to be walking to the kitchen for a late night cup of tea, to rush into Spike's room shouting, "Spike, what happened, are you okay?" Spike was sitting up in his bed panting, across the room was his mirror which was still aflame with his breath. "Sorry Twi," he said looking sheepish, "I was having a bad dream and I guess I just sorta lashed out..."
Twilight's gaze softened as she said, "Again huh, you want to talk about it?" This had not been an isolated insident, all month at random times he had been waking up in the middle of the night screaming and it was really begining to worry her.
Spike did what he had been doing all month, the look on his face and in his eyes hardened as he said, "Not really Twi, just go back to bed and I'll do the same," and with that he rolled over and pretended to go to sleep."
Just like all the other times he had said this Twilight didn't beleve him but she wasn't going to call him out on it. What ever it was he needed to work it out for himself and she both couldn't and wouldn't force him to. 'He'll tell me when he's ready.' she thought as she walked out of the room.
The next morning found these two sitting at the castle table eating breakfast. out of the corner of her eye, Twilight watched Spike. The past night, as well as the whole month prior, were not good to him. His scales had lost much of their luster and shine and his eyes had large bags. Idlely Twilight wondered how much sleep her little dragon had gotten.
"Hey, you know what would be fun," She said, hoping to gain his attention as well as raised his spirits, "Why don't we go see our friends today. I'm sure Rarity would love to have some company." The reaction she reseved defenatly wasn't what she expectied. Reather than the exstatic proclomation of agreement Spike mearly gave a half nod as he took his bowl of uneaten gems back into the kitchen.
The walk to Carasel Boutique usually only took a few minutes, Spike generally being at a full gallop to get there, but seemed to take twich as long. Spike was walking slowly, the exostion of the previous nights showing on his face. Twilight quickly picked up on this and offered to carry him if he was tired but he declined.
"Welcome!" Chirped Rarity as the two walked in, "Oh Twilight, Spike, how good it is to see you. Twilight darling, I was just going to come over to see you about your order. It seems that I need some more measurements on you and Spikey Wikey."
The Two turned to find Spike leaning on one of the marble pillars his eyes closed and his arms crossed. He wasn't asleep but one wouldn't be able to tell unless they really looked. Rarity leaned over and wispered into Twilight's ear, "Is he alright darling? He looks as though he hasn't slept in days."
"He hasn't." Twilight said sadly, "I don't know why but Spike has been having some really bad dreams lately. He won't tell me what they are but they're so bad that once they wake him up he stays up. I'd guess he's had about Two hours of sleep a night for the last month."
"Have you talked to Princess Luna about this, maybe she could help him." Rarity offered but Twilight just shook her head. "She's tried but because Spike's a dragon he's natually ressistant to magic, even alicorn magic. Princess Luna can't even enter Spike's dream unless he lets her."
The sound of a grunt drew the two unicorns attention. Spike was holding his arm and grinding his teeth as the unknown pain passed threw his body. It passed relitivly quickly. Spike looked up to the two worried mares and said, "Relax, it passed..." A sentence he regreated almost emediatly.
In a flash of magical light Spike found himself on Rarity's bed with Twilight examining his arm under a magnifing glass. "No exterior injury as far as I can tell..." Twilight said as Rarity wrote down every word being said. "I supose the fact that I said I was okay didn't register..." Spike deadpanned.
The examination only took a few minutes but Twilight didn't find anything wrong. "I don't understand, how could he be in pain without an injury?" she asked. Rarity tapped her hoof to her chin for a second before saying, "Maybe it was just growing pains, heaven knows little Spikey Wikey is do for one." Neither unicorn noticed Spike tense at thoughs words. After an hour of Rarity measuring and about two and a half talking about this and that the two found themselves back an the road.
Thinking quickly about what typicaly made Spike happy or cheered him up Twilight headed out of town to Sweet Apple Acres. The whole of the Apple family were master apple chefs but none more that Applejack herself. As deep of a love of gems as Spike had the food and treats sold at the family farm by the golden mare were an extremly close second.
This time Twilight didn't take no for an answer and carryed Spike to the farm, namely because he was dragging so much. Applejack trotted up to the two in an instant. "Well howdy there Twi, Spike, What brings you round these parts?" the Proud applefarmer asked.
Twilight beamed as she said, "Spike and I are taking a day to relax today and were hoping to stop over for some lunch with you." A small growl eminated from Applejack's stomach at the idea, "Well... I guess that's a yes." Twilights jabbed playfully at the Blushing orange mare.
"You two go ahead," Spike said as he leaned against a tree, "I'm not really hungry right now." This proclomation shocked Applejack, she knew for a fact that Spikes appitite easily dwarfed her own and she had won every eating contest she ever entered. Applejack took a step forward in order to say something but was stopped by Twilight who only shook her head and lead her away.
"So, the little guy hasn't been eatin or sleepin?" Applejack asked after twilight filled her in on the subject. "Yes. He also had a weird pain a little while ago. It passed quickly but the look in his eyes showed that the pain must have been debilitating."
The two mares ate lunch and talked quietly. Spike had fallen asleep under the tree and was sturing fitfully. His eyes shot open as another flash of pain coursed threw him, threw his leg this time. Spike dug his claw into the tree until it finally passed. 'Oh tartarus, they're happening more often... if I'm not careful Twilight might find out...' he thought to himself. Spike looked up to see her and Applejack walking back from thier meal, 'No, I can't let that happen.'
They were just returning to town when an explostion caught their attention. Moving as fast as Twilight's wings could carry them, they crossed town to Time Turner's lab, which was currently ablaze in purple flames.
Several pegisai, Rainbow Dash included, were already working to put it out while many more earth pony's were working on holding Time Turner back. "Let me go!" he yelled, fighting back with as much force as he could, "I have to get to Dinky!" In the window on the second floor was a pale lavender unicorn foal who was banging on the glass.
Twilight set her horn a glow before another unicorn, Lyra, ran up and stopped her, "Wait Princess, your magic will only make it worse. Something about that fire absorbs magic." After hearing this Twilight began trying to figure out how to save the poor little filly.
Spike hadn't heard the Unicorn's warning nor Time's roars of protest, he couldn't see anything around him save for the little filly in the window. Spike's eyes diliated into small slivers as his draconic instincts took control. He dashed forward faster than anyone had ever seen him, much too fast for Twilight to stop, and easily smashed threw the front door.
"Spike No!" she yelled as more ponies stopped her from charging after him, "Princess listen," Bon Bon said, her secert training taking over for a moment, "Thoughs flames don't die out until everything they touch is gone, if it touches you you will die." Tears streamed down Twilight's face as this sunk in, everypony else followed suit as Dinky disapeared from the window.
Suddenly the sound of glass smashing and a large purple blur drew everypony's attention. What landed could not have been more of a suprise. A dragon, larger than any of the ponies present, stood before them. Dark amethyst scales glittered his hide as the flames attepted to burn the creacher only to be snuffed out. Three large and sharp green spines jut from his head while the rest going down his back were small and dull. The form of the dragon was sleak and his muzzle was pointed and angular making him streamlined. Lastly were his eyes which burned with a clam furosity only found in beast of protection.
It was Spike, there was no dought in anyone present. Oddly, unlike many of the other dragons Spike's size, he was quadripedal and cluched protectively in his arm was a littly filly, Dinky. Spike quickly handed her to Twilight without a word before jumping back into the lab. Not more than a few seconds after the ground shook as the once sturdy building, one designed espeashally for Time Turner's experiments, collapsed on him. Twilight's eyes filled with tears for her friend and brother while Dinky's did for a different reason, "Mama," she cried.
Without warning, the ground began to quake slightly. An explosion of green flames shot up in the reckage like a large tower. When it had finally subsided standing in the middle of the chaos was Spike who had a grey pegasis with a blonde mane under him. Ditzy had her eyes covered in fear as if she were expecting for the end to have come, she was suprised however to find that she was still in one piece.
Gently picking her up, Spike walked the mare over on his back where Time Turner and Dinky ran up in a flash. "Mama... Mama... are you okay?" the little filly asked with great worry in her voice. Ditzy smiled at her daughter as she said, "No worries honey, Mama's fine."
Spike tilited his shoulder and let Ditzy slide off, Dinky emediatly ran into her mother's legs with Time Turner right behind her. "Oh Ditzy, I'm so sorry," he said as tears streaked his face, "You almost got hurt because of me and my silly experiments."
At this Ditzy smiled and gently nuzzled him, "Doc it's not your fault, if anything it's mine. I never should have brought Dinky here when you were out. It was a resipe for disaster."
While all this was going on all eyes were on the three except one pair, Twilight was staring at Spike. Spike's pupils, which had been narrow the during the whole event, were flickering before finally widening back to normal. Spike drew his claw to his head as he came back around. All he could remember was the little filly in the window, the odd purple flames... flashes of a mother trapped and then suddenly back out side with Twilight staring at...
Spike froze as realization dawned on him. Raising his claw before his face again Spike almost shreiked as he saw how much larger is was. He turned to Twilight for a second before doing what he had been for the pasted few years, he tried supressing his growth.
Tapping into his inharent draconic magic, Spike tried to shrink back into his younger form but it didn't work. Only now did Spike realize the pain he felt was his body refusing to be supresed any further and the stress of the little filly in danger snapped the last thread of restraint he had left.
Twilight watched as Spike clamped his eyes shut and focused for a second only to look more and more horrified when he would open his eyes again and see that whatever it was that he was trying to do failed. He began to tremble visibley and Twilight was growing more woried by the second, "Spike?" she asked.
Spike's head shot up at the sound of his name, terror evedent in his every feature. Twilight took a single step forward as he took a large step back. Flashes and memories of his dreams flashed threw Spike's mind, the pain and terror as well as the sorrow and loneliness. Twilight took another step forward as she called his name again, "Spike?" This time Spike didn't hesitate, at the sound of his name he bolted off towards the Everfree.
"SPIKE!" she yelled as she ran after him. Rainbow, hearing her friend scream, flew down after her. "Twi, what's going on?" she yelled as she chased after her. "Rainbow, it's Spike, go get the girls and find us in the Everfree. When I've found him I'll send a signal."
"Let me go after him Twilight, I'm faster!" Rainbow offered only to be turned down, "No Rainbow, it has to be me. Something happened to him and it has him scared, I'm really the only one who could aproche him like this." Rainbow nodded her head in understaning as she dashed off to find her friends. With that worked out Twilight took to the air and flew as best as she could threw the thick overgrowth of the forest
The act of following Spike was proving to be far more difficult for Twilight in his new form. In the past she would have had no trouble catching up with him with his short clumsy legs carrying his round and chubby body. But now with long powerful legs in combination of a slinder streamlined body Spike was having no issue what so ever keeping far enough away. In fact more often than not Twilight would have to teleport to a space right infront of him in order to keep up.
This, all of it, it was an entirly new feeling to Spike. Celestia knows how much trouble he had running before but now it was so easy. Dispite his heavy form Spike moved with the ease of a cat, his long slinder body going over, under and around any obsticles in his way, and even if he couldn't his claws made it so that he didn't even need to slow down.
Inspite of all this Spike knew he couldn't run forever. With thoughs blasted teleportation spells he would run out of stamina long before Twilight did with her magic. Soon enough he came across a cave, there wasn't a scent eminating from it so he knew it wasn't inhabited. Spike ran in without a second thought only to find the cave wasn't as deep as he had originaly thought, only about a hundred feet or so, and he knew for a fact that Twilight had seen him enter.
Landing rather roughly at the mouth of the cave, Twilight cast a quick spell to check the cave. He was still in it and there was only one exit. Twilight was releived to find that she could already hear the sounds of her friends in the distance. She had been chaising Spike for quite some time however with her poping up right infront of him so many times he had taken a sort of zigzan patteren so they really hadn't covered very much distance.
Twilight shot of a marker for her friends and began to walk forward only to be stopped by his voice. "Stay back Twilight..." he warned, Twilight only shook her head, "Spike please, tell me what's going on. What happened and why have you grown so suddenly?"
Spike was silent for a moment before speaking, "Because I'm a monster..." It was at the moment he said it that the others ran up and heard as he contenued, "I'm a dragon Twilight, a fire breathing, gem eating beast! I've tried Twi, really I have, but I can't stop it any more! I'll keep growing and eventually will become that thing again! I'll tear apart the town again and everypony will want to drive me out... I can't, no I won't be responsable for causing pain in the only place I've ever felt at home..."
The girls were silent as what Spike had just said sunk in, until Applejack spoke up, "Consarn it Spike, You've been Twi's assistant for years, how the heck can ya be this dumb?" That cought the dragon off guard, "Look Sugarcube, we're your friends, we'd never drive ya away just because you're going threw some changes."
Rarity stepped forward as she spoke, "That's right Darling, you mean far to much to all of us to just be cased aside like that." The smile on her face fadded slightly as she saw into the cave. The two orbs that were Spike's eyes glowed slightly in the dark cave, giving off an oddly captivating appeal.
Twlight took a step forward as she contenued, "You see Spike? We all..." She was suddenly cut of by a dark and ominus growl, echoing not only from the cave but from behind them. The girls' eyes all widdened as Spike rushed forward and for the first time reveiled his new form to them, sans Twilight. It was frightening to say the least as Spike lunged out of the cave towards them... over them... behind them?
Spike's roar shook the ground as the mane six turned and were horrified to find and enormus park of timber wolves, easily fifty or sixty, eyeing them hungrily. The large wooden beasts seemed to be sizing him up, trying to deside whether or not fighting him would be worth the meal. On one paw, he was a dragon, they were dangerous simply on priniple however this one was young and had no wings, the ponies were a bonus of course but dragon meat is rare and hard to come by.
A desision seemed to be made as the wolves closed in on them. Unlike before, Spike was fully aware of what was going on. Every brain cell in his head were working overtime with his instincts to figure a way out of this while protecting Twilight and the girls. 'I need to hide them somehow,' Spike thought as he snapped at one wolf that was coming to close and swating away another, 'If I can do that then I'll be able to throw them off or at least intimidated them a little more.'
Another growl escaped him as his shoulders began to scream in pain but he ignored it, the girls however didn't. Spike's shoulders began to roll and bulge until they burst out, reveiling two large wings. The wings were enormus and beautyful to the ponies, the solid structure was the same rich amethyst of his scales while the thin membrane was as green as his spines. The wolves however weren't as inthraled as the ponies, with these new obsticles obscuring the easier prey they began to realise just how dangerous the whole situation was. The leader however pushed his pack forward, wings or no he would be feeding on dragon tonight.
With one issues solved Spike began working on the other. Fluttershy was the first to feel it, Spike's tail gently pushing on her chest, Rarity was next followed shortly be pinkie. Spike started to slowly back up, pushing the girls into the cave and away from the wolves biting range. However as he retreated the timber wolves advanced, the alpha leading the charge. Once he got to the mouth of the cave Spike had to press his new wings against he body which quickly got the wolves reiled again, as much of the pack trying to get in as posible.
Spike soon felt the end of the line, with the girls still behind him there was no where left to back up. "I-Is this... the end?" Fluttershy asked. "It looks like it Sugercube." Applejack said calmly, refusing even in the end to show fear. With that the six huddled behind Spike causing the wolves to lunge.
Unfortunatly for the wolves this is what Spike had in mind the whole time. Breathing deeply he unleased a torrent of emerald flame that made the one in town look like a snease. Every wolf before him, whether in the cave or just at the mouth, was instantly insenerated turning the once mighty pack of sixty into eight. Spike walked out of the cave slowly and glared at the now terrified wolves and hissed. Fightened they ran off.
Shortly after the girls exited the cave in awe of what had just happened. All eyes were on Spike as he sniffed the air, "They're gone but I doubt we can relax just yet," he said as he turned to the girls, "Get on, I'll carry you out so no one gets any ideas." All were hesitant at first, "Look Sugarcube, thats nice of ya and all but..." Applejack started to object before Spike cut her off. "Get on."
With that somewhat scary command Applejack all but jumpped on to his back, wrapping her hindlegs around his barrel. Rarity climbed up to his neck and wrapped her forelegs around his neck with Applejack wrapping hers over her body. Pinkie hopped on Spikes tail and began to bounce giggling, "Ye-haw," and going so far as to take Applejacks hat just to wave it around.
Knowing that there was no way that the others could fit onto his back Spike extended his wings again. He knew he wouldn't be able to fly yet but he could feel the strength of his wings and they could easily support two small pegisi. While Fluttershy softly landed on his right wing Rainbow was hesitant to do so but with a quick glare from him she landed. Last was Twilight who, finding no where else she could, perched herself on Spike's head.
The walk back to town was silent for a time. Spike had been right, while most of the forest's creachers stayed clear some were brave enough to peak a glance at them but none were willing to chance it. After some time Twilight picked up on where she had left off earlier, "Spike, what happened to you, why were you so scared about us abanding you?"
A large sigh left Spike as he walked, "I guess it started afew years ago. Twilight do you remember Sombra and his dark castle?" After reseving a nod from her he contenued, "The door of fear... the one that showed you your greatest fear. that is when I realized just what my greatest fear was. Ever sense I found out about what my growth and greed can do I've done everything in my power to stop it.
"I fought off not only my greed but my natural growth as well, I never wanted to grow because I knew I would have to leave all of you." Once again Twilight proved to be far to observant for his own good, "Is that why you've been having nightmares?" she asked, he only nodded, "What are they about?"
"I wake up one morning to find the castle in ruin with flames everywhere, I look in every room I can find but I never could find you. Eventually I'm forced outside to find you and everyone in town with enraged faces telling me how the fire and all the damage to the town is my fault. I'll spare you most of the darker details but it ends with me being chased out of town and later with you and the girls hunting me to get rid of me for good."
Silence once again reined until it was broken by Rarity, "Darling, you know we'd never even dream of doing such a thing." she said. Before he could respond Spike felt somepony hugging his neck, "I don't care how big you get Spike," Fluttershy said sternly, "I don't care if you grow to be the biggest scaryest looking dragon to ever have lived, I will never be afraid of you. You will always have a place in Ponyvile."
Spike smiled happily as he let Fluttershy nuzzle his neck only to blush a few seconds later as the girls giggled at one of his new unconscious actions. "Spike," Twilight asked, "Are you Purring?"
The walk back to Ponyvile didn't take anytime at all, however to Spike it seemed to take forever. Although not many knew this, even before his sudden growth Spike could easily pick up and carry a full grown pony so it stands to reason that after he could easily carry even more, which he could, however after a while six full grown mares in a dense forest got rather heavy. Thankfully Spike had the good sense not to bring up this particular point to the six in question.
The moment they left the Everfree all six were off and Spike could once again walk easily. Although the girls had convenced him that they would not turn against him he wasn't quite as sure about the rest of the town, ponies were easily frightened. That train of thought was derailed when two blurs of tears, one a pale lavander and the other grey, tackled him to the ground.
"Mr. Dragon, Mr. Dragon..." Dinky said ugently, trying as best she could to hold back her tears, "Why did you run away? Did we make you angry?" Spike shifted his attention from the unicorn who was latched on his fore leg to the pegisus around his neck. "I never got a chance to thank you Spike," Ditzy said, "Nurse Redheart checked us out while you ran off, clean bill of health. If not for you I don't know what would have happened." Spike smiled at the two before returning the hug.
Back in the main part of town Spike was greeted with excited hoof stomps and happy thanks and praise. More suprizing than that was how many of the mares in town would stop and stare at Spike now. While he had always been adorable as a baby, now as a somewhat adult there where now very diffrent looks of infatuation.
All thought stopped as Spike beheld what or rather who was where the wreckage of the old lab was, Princess Celestia. Twilight of course ran up to her former mentor in excitment. "Princess, what are you doing here?" Princess Celestia nuzzled back before saying, "It is good to see you as well Twilight. As for why I am here I believe a tower of green flame shooting into the sky high enough to be seen from Canterlot is reason enough to pay a visit."
Spike was hesitant to walk up to the Princess, what if she told him he had to live with dragons now for the good of all. He knew full well that the princess never did anything in haste, she always thought everything threw and never judged anypony on something they had no choice in. As he walked up everypony in town quickly realised something. While they didn't have a proper measure to judge just how large Spike had became they sertantly had one now, Spike was just as large as Princess Celestia, if not a little larger.
Princess Celestia stared at Spike in awe for a moment before gathering herself and speaking, "Hello Spike, I see you have gone threw a growth spurt as of late." The soft and caring smile never once left her face and he felt calm enough to tell her the story.
"The one thing I don't understand," Rainbow Dash said after Spike was done, "if Spike was using his 'dragon magic' to hold himself small, why can't her turn back? Don't get me wrong Spike, you look awesome like this but it's still bugging me."
Celestia laughed a little at Spike's slightly irritated look before answering, "The answer is rather simple. Dragons are by far the most magical beings in existance, as such they live, age and espesally grow in a veritiy of ways. A dragon's growth and ability is based on what the dragon themselves desires. While greed can stimulate their growth it is the acual desire to have a body capable of gathering and protecting what they greed for."
Turning her attention to Spike she contenued, "You desired to live among ponies and protect all in your village, if not the whole of Equestria, and as such was going to have this form however your fear of being discarded or feared caused you to want to hide away what you really are. That is why you were in so much pain, because you were in conflict with yourself."
"I guess that explains my wings to," Spike said as he flexed them out for all to see, "I'm guessing dragons grow them in acordance to what they want as well." Celestia nodded, "Thats right, often yound dragons would grow them to show off which is why many dragons wings are disproportunate to their size. You yourself have very large wings because you wanted them to protect your friends."
Spike smiled as he looked at all his friends and said, "Thank you, all of you. With out you I don't know what I would do." Suddelny feeling a weight on his head he looked up to see Rainbow Dash sitting there with a sly smerk, "Oh can the mushy stuff, come on lets see just how good you are with thoughs wings!"
Spike couldn't help but smile as she dashed off. Thinking about it he already knew how this was going to turn out, after all he had a body build for strenght, defence, offence and most of all speed, everything he would need to be the dragon he wanted to be. The dragon worrior of Equestria.